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{{short description|American model and actress (1940-2019)}}
{{Short description|American model and actress (1940–2019)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox Playboy Playmate <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox Playboy Playmate/doc]] -->
{{Infobox person
⚫
| image = Joan Staley-Hal Baylor in Bonanza (The Stranger) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Staley in ''[[Bonanza]]' (1960)
| name = Joan Staley
⚫
| image = Joan Staley-Hal Baylor in Bonanza (The Stranger) (cropped).jpg
| image_size = 220px
| name = Joan Staley
| caption = Staley in ''[[Bonanza]]'' (1960)
| issue = November 1958
| image_size =
| birth_name = Joan Lynette McConchie
| birth_name = Joan Lynette McConchie
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1940|05|20}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1940|05|20}}
| birth_place = [[Minneapolis, Minnesota]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[Minneapolis]], Minnesota, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2019|11|24|1940|05|20}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2019|11|24|1940|05|20}}
| death_place = [[Valencia, California]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Valencia, California]], U.S.
| alma_mater = [[Chapman University|Chapman College]]
| height = 5 ft 5 in
| known_for = ''[[Broadside (TV series)|Broadside]]''<br>''[[77 Sunset Strip]]''<br>''[[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]]''
| preceded = [[Mara Corday]], [[Pat Sheehan (model)|Pat Sheehan]]
| succeeded = [[Joyce Nizzari]]
| occupation = Actress
| years_active = 1948&ndash;1982
⚫
| spouse = Chuck Staley (1956-1960) (divorced) (1 child)<br />Dale Sheets (1967-2019) (her death) (3 children)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thelifeandtimesofhollywood.com/actress-joan-staley-80-dies-co-starred-with-don-knotts-in-the-ghost-ladies-man-with-jerry-lewis-77-sunset-strip-lots-of-films-tv/|title=Actress Joan Staley, 79, dies. Co-starred with Don Knotts in The Ghost & Mr. Chicken; Ladies Man with Jerry Lewis; 77 Sunset Strip, lots of films & tv|date=November 29, 2019}}</ref>
| spouse = {{plainlist|
⚫
| children = Sherrye Dee Staley (b. 1959)<br />Stephanie, Greg, and Dina
* {{marriage|Chuck Staley|1956|1960|reason=divorced}}
⚫
* {{marriage|Dale Sheets|1967}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://thelifeandtimesofhollywood.com/actress-joan-staley-80-dies-co-starred-with-don-knotts-in-the-ghost-ladies-man-with-jerry-lewis-77-sunset-strip-lots-of-films-tv/ |title=Actress Joan Staley, 79, dies. Co-starred with Don Knotts in The Ghost & Mr. Chicken; Ladies Man with Jerry Lewis; 77 Sunset Strip, lots of films & tv |date=November 29, 2019 |website=The Life & Times of Hollywood}}</ref>
}}
}}
⚫
| children = Sherrye Dee Staley (b. 1959)<br />Stephanie Sheets, Greg Sheets, and Dina Sheets {{cn|date=June 2023}}
⚫
'''Joan Staley''' (born '''Joan Lynette McConchie'''; May 20, 1940&nbsp;– November 24, 2019) <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/joan-staley-dead-actress-ghost-mr-chicken-roustabout-was-79-1258516|title=Joan Staley, Actress in 'The Ghost and Mr. Chicken,' Dies at 79 &#124; Hollywood Reporter|website=www.hollywoodreporter.com}}</ref> was an American actress and model.
}}

⚫
'''Joan Staley''' (born '''Joan Lynette McConchie'''; May 20, 1940&nbsp;– November 24, 2019)<ref>{{Cite news |first=Mike |last=Barnes |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/joan-staley-dead-actress-ghost-mr-chicken-roustabout-was-79-1258516 |title=Joan Staley, Actress in 'The Ghost and Mr. Chicken,' Dies at 79 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=November 29, 2019}}</ref> was an American actress and model.


==Early life==
==Early life==
Staley was born in [[Minneapolis, Minnesota]], the daughter of James and Jean McConchie. Her father was a minister, and her mother was a musician who played violin, piano, organ, and viola.<ref name="ffsc">{{cite book |last=Lisanti |first=Tom |title=Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema: Interviews with 20 Actresses from Biker, Beach, and Elvis Movies |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |year=2012 |isbn=978-1476601168 |pages=53–66 |url={{Google books|-kWeCQAAQBAJ|page=53|plainurl=yes}}}}</ref> She grew up in [[Los Angeles, California]].
Staley was born in [[Minneapolis]], Minnesota, the daughter of James and Jean McConchie. Her father was a minister, and her mother was a musician who played violin, piano, organ, and viola.<ref name="ffsc">{{cite book |last=Lisanti |first=Tom |title=Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema: Interviews with 20 Actresses from Biker, Beach, and Elvis Movies |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |year=2012 |isbn=978-1476601168 |pages=53–66 |url={{Google books|-kWeCQAAQBAJ|page=53|plainurl=yes}}}}</ref> She grew up in Los Angeles, California.


At age three, her mother took her to a concert, after which Joan requested a violin. When her mother realized she was serious, she obliged. Her first instructor was Karl Moldrem, the founder of the Baby Orchestra in Los Angeles. By age six, Staley had won by audition first chair/second violin in Peter Meremblum's Junior Symphony ([[André Previn]] was an alumnus). This led to her first film appearance, as a child violinist, in ''[[The Emperor Waltz]]'', starring [[Bing Crosby]] and [[Joan Fontaine]].<ref name=ffsc/>
At age three, Staley's mother took her to a concert, after which Joan requested a violin. When her mother realized she was serious, she obliged. Her first instructor was Karl Moldrem, the founder of the Baby Orchestra in Los Angeles. By age six, Staley had won by audition first chair/second violin in Peter Meremblum's Junior Symphony ([[André Previn]] was an alumnus). This led to her first film appearance, as a child violinist, in ''[[The Emperor Waltz]]'', starring [[Bing Crosby]] and [[Joan Fontaine]].<ref name="ffsc" />


Her mother and father were missionaries in Africa, after which her father joined the Army as a chaplain.<ref name="kr">{{cite news |last=Misurell |first=Ed |title=A 'Femme Fatale' Turns Comedienne |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7280704/the_kane_republican/ |newspaper=The Kane Republican |date=July 21, 1964 |location=[[Kane, Pennsylvania]] |page=2 | via=[[Ancestry.com#Newspapers.com|Newspapers.com]] |access-date=October 6, 2017}}</ref> His career facilitated her high school experiences in [[Chicago]], [[Washington, D.C.]], [[Munich]], and [[Paris]]. She briefly attended [[Chapman University|Chapman College]], after which she moved to where her father was stationed in [[San Francisco]] to find work, as the only teletype operator at the William R. Stats brokerage firm.
Her mother and father were missionaries in Africa, after which her father joined the Army as a chaplain.<ref name="kr">{{cite news |last=Misurell |first=Ed |title=A 'Femme Fatale' Turns Comedienne |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7280704/the_kane_republican/ |newspaper=The Kane Republican |date=July 21, 1964 |location=[[Kane, Pennsylvania]] |page=2 | via=[[Ancestry.com#Newspapers.com|Newspapers.com]] |access-date=October 6, 2017}}</ref> As the family moved to various postings, Staley attended schools in Chicago, Washington, D.C., [[Munich]], and Paris. She briefly attended [[Chapman University|Chapman College]], after which she moved to where her father was stationed in San Francisco to find work, as the only teletype operator at the William R. Stats brokerage firm.


==Career==
==Career==
She joined ''The Little Theater'' in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] with roles in ''[[The Robe (film)|The Robe]]'', Fiona in ''[[Brigadoon (film)|Brigadoon]]'', and ''[[My Sister Eileen (1955 film)|My Sister Eileen]]'' with actress [[Jo Anne Worley]]. This led to small roles in live television, such as ''[[Playhouse 90]]'', ''[[Climax!]]'', and ''[[Studio One (American TV series)|Westinghouse Studio One]]''. These appearances opened the door for her in film and television. Staley's first role in television was a 1958 ''[[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]]'' episode, "The Case of the Corresponding Corpse". In early 1958, [[Lawrence Schiller]], a ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' photographer, approached Staley and asked her to pose for ''[[Playboy]]''. They did a photo shoot together, which resulted in the actual spread used by the magazine. Publisher [[Hugh Hefner]] selected her to be ''Playboy''{{'}}s "Miss November" 1958.<ref>{{Playmate|joan-staley|Joan Staley}}</ref>
She joined ''The Little Theater'' in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] with roles in ''[[The Robe (film)|The Robe]]'', Fiona in ''[[Brigadoon (film)|Brigadoon]]'', and ''[[My Sister Eileen (1955 film)|My Sister Eileen]]'' with actress [[Jo Anne Worley]]. This led to small roles in live television, such as ''[[Playhouse 90]]'', ''[[Climax!]]'', and ''[[Studio One (American TV series)|Westinghouse Studio One]]''. These appearances opened the door for her in film and television. Staley's first role in television was a 1958 ''[[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]]'' episode, "The Case of the Corresponding Corpse". In early 1958, [[Lawrence Schiller]], a ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' photographer, approached Staley and asked her to pose for ''[[Playboy]]''. They did a photo shoot together, which resulted in the actual spread used by the magazine. Publisher [[Hugh Hefner]] selected her to be ''Playboy''{{'}}s "Miss November" 1958.<ref>{{Playmate|joan-staley|Joan Staley}}{{Dead link|date=September 2022}}</ref>


Her first marriage was to [[television director]] Chuck Staley (1956–1960). They had a daughter, Sherrye Dee Staley (born 1959). During this time, [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] signed Staley to contract, one of the last actresses to do so. Her working experience, seen taking a shower in the opening credits, with director [[Vincente Minnelli]] for ''[[Bells Are Ringing (film)|Bells Are Ringing]]'', starring [[Judy Holliday]], was, for her, a memorable start to her film career. She enjoyed a film and television career that lasted through the 1960s and into the early 1970s. Her first guest-starring role was on ''[[The Untouchables (1959 TV series)|The Untouchables]]''.<ref>{{cite book |url={{Google books|fzWCLeXJI3AC|page=177|plainurl=yes}} |title=Eliot Ness and the Untouchables: The Historical Reality and the Film and Television Depictions |first=Kenneth |last=Tucker |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |year=2000 |page=177 |isbn=978-0786407729}}</ref>
Her first marriage was to television director Chuck Staley (1956–1960). They had a daughter, Sherrye Dee Staley (born 1959). During this time, [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] signed Staley to contract, one of the last actresses to do so. Her working experience, seen taking a shower in the opening credits, with director [[Vincente Minnelli]] for ''[[Bells Are Ringing (film)|Bells Are Ringing]]'', starring [[Judy Holliday]], was, for her, a memorable start to her film career. She enjoyed a film and television career that lasted through the 1960s and into the early 1970s. Her first guest-starring role was on ''[[The Untouchables (1959 TV series)|The Untouchables]]''.<ref>{{cite book |url={{Google books|fzWCLeXJI3AC|page=177|plainurl=yes}} |title=Eliot Ness and the Untouchables: The Historical Reality and the Film and Television Depictions |first=Kenneth |last=Tucker |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |year=2000 |page=177 |isbn=978-0786407729}}</ref>


For her first ongoing series role, she was featured in multiple appearances on the popular [[sitcom]] ''[[The Tab Hunter Show]]'', where she was widely recognized for her comedic abilities. In 1961, she appeared in several roles in ''[[The Lawless Years]]'', a 1920s [[Crime film#Crime drama|crime drama]] starring [[James Gregory (actor)|James Gregory]]. After ''The Lawless Years'', she enjoyed a recurring role as [[David Nelson (actor)|David Nelson]]'s secretary in ''[[The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet]]''. She went on to guest-star on [[Phil Silvers]]' sitcom ''[[The New Phil Silvers Show]]''. A year later, she co-starred with singer [[Vic Damone]] in ''[[The Lively Ones]]'' for [[NBC]], the summer replacement series for ''[[The Ford Show|The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show]]''.<ref>{{cite book |url={{Google books|6Kl7fXXpFRMC|page=184|plainurl=yes}} |title=Singing Was the Easy Part |first=Vic |last=Damone |author-link=Vic Damone |publisher=[[St. Martin's Griffin]] |year=2010 |page=184 |isbn=978-0312570262}}</ref>
For her first ongoing series role, she was featured in multiple appearances on the popular sitcom ''[[The Tab Hunter Show]]'', where she was widely recognized for her comedic abilities. In 1961, she appeared in two roles in ''[[The Lawless Years]]'', a 1920s [[Crime film#Crime drama|crime drama]] starring [[James Gregory (actor)|James Gregory]]. After ''The Lawless Years'', she had a one-time recurring role as [[David Nelson (actor)|David Nelson]]'s temporary secretary in ''[[The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet]]''. She went on to guest-star on [[Phil Silvers]]'s sitcom ''[[The New Phil Silvers Show]]''. A year later, she co-starred with singer [[Vic Damone]] in ''[[The Lively Ones]]'' for [[NBC]], the summer replacement series for ''[[The Ford Show|The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show]]''.<ref>{{cite book |url={{Google books|6Kl7fXXpFRMC|page=184|plainurl=yes}} |title=Singing Was the Easy Part |first=Vic |last=Damone |author-link=Vic Damone |publisher=[[St. Martin's Griffin]] |year=2010 |page=184 |isbn=978-0312570262}}</ref> She also co-starred in ''[[Valley of the Dragons (film)|Valley of the Dragons]]'' in 1961 as "Deena".


Staley made three additional guest appearances on ''Perry Mason'', as Sally in "The Case Of The Double Entry Mind", and including the role of murderer Gina Gilbert in the 1962 episode, "The Case of the Lonely Eloper". She was also featured on episodes of ''[[Stoney Burke (TV series)|Stoney Burke]]'', ''[[Wagon Train]]'', ''[[The Real McCoys]]'', ''[[McHale's Navy]]'', ''[[The Virginian (TV series)|The Virginian]]'', ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]'', ''[[Burke's Law (1963 TV series)|Burke's Law]]'', ''[[The Munsters]]'', ''[[Batman (TV series)|Batman]]'', ''[[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]]'', ''[[Hawaiian Eye]]'', ''[[Surfside 6]]'', ''[[Tales of Wells Fargo]]'', and ''[[Rango (TV series)|Rango]]'', among others.
Staley made three additional guest appearances on ''Perry Mason'', as Sally in "The Case Of The Double Entry Mind", and including the role of murderer Gina Gilbert in the 1962 episode, "The Case of the Lonely Eloper". She was also featured on episodes of ''[[Stoney Burke (TV series)|Stoney Burke]]'', ''[[Wagon Train]]'', ''[[The Real McCoys]]'', ''[[McHale's Navy]]'', ''[[The Virginian (TV series)|The Virginian]]'', ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]'', ''[[The Untouchables (1959 TV series)|The Untouchables]]'', ''[[Burke's Law (1963 TV series)|Burke's Law]]'', ''[[The Munsters]]'', ''[[Batman (TV series)|Batman]]'', ''[[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]]'', ''[[Hawaiian Eye]]'', ''[[Surfside 6]]'', ''[[Tales of Wells Fargo]]'', and ''[[Rango (TV series)|Rango]]'', among others.


She was a regular as Hannah, the secretary to series character Stuart Bailey ([[Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.]]), on the sixth and final season of the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]/[[Warner Bros.]] crime drama, ''[[77 Sunset Strip]]''. One of her favorite roles was a small part in ''[[A New Kind of Love]]'' (1963), starring [[Paul Newman]] and [[Joanne Woodward]], in which Staley had a sequence with Newman. She also appeared in ''[[Cape Fear (1962 film)|Cape Fear]]'' (1962) as a waitress in a scene with [[Robert Mitchum]]; ''[[Johnny Cool]]'' (1963); and the 1964 [[Elvis Presley]] movie, ''[[Roustabout (film)|Roustabout]]''; and co-starred in ''[[The Ghost and Mr. Chicken]]'' (1966) opposite [[Don Knotts]] and in ''[[Gunpoint (film)|Gunpoint]]'' (1966) opposite [[Audie Murphy]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thecollegecrowddigsme.com/2016/08/interview-joan-staley-actress-classic.html |title=Joan Staley Interview |first=Casey |last=Chambers |website=The College Crowd Digs Me |date=August 10, 2016}}</ref>
She was a regular as Hannah, the secretary to series character Stuart Bailey ([[Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.]]), on the sixth and final season of the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]/[[Warner Bros.]] crime drama, ''[[77 Sunset Strip]]''. One of her favorite roles was a small part in ''[[A New Kind of Love]]'' (1963), starring [[Paul Newman]] and [[Joanne Woodward]], in which Staley had a sequence with Newman. She also appeared in ''[[Cape Fear (1962 film)|Cape Fear]]'' (1962) as a waitress in a scene with [[Robert Mitchum]]; ''[[Johnny Cool]]'' (1963); and the 1964 [[Elvis Presley]] movie, ''[[Roustabout (film)|Roustabout]]''; and co-starred in ''[[The Ghost and Mr. Chicken]]'' (1966) opposite [[Don Knotts]] and in ''[[Gunpoint (film)|Gunpoint]]'' (1966) opposite [[Audie Murphy]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thecollegecrowddigsme.com/2016/08/interview-joan-staley-actress-classic.html |title=Joan Staley Interview |first=Casey |last=Chambers |website=The College Crowd Digs Me |date=August 10, 2016}}</ref>


In 1964, she appeared on ''McHale's Navy'' and was signed to a [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] contract for the ''McHale's Navy'' [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] ''[[Broadside (TV series)|Broadside]]'', where she co-starred with [[Kathleen Nolan]], [[Sheila Kuehl|Sheila James]], and [[Dick Sargent]]. Her character was Roberta "Honey-Hips" Love, a former stripper who had joined the Navy. In 1966, she suffered a serious back injury as a result of a [[Equestrianism|horseback]] riding accident during the filming of ''Gunpoint'' starring Audie Murphy. She stopped working in films after that and concentrated on television.<ref name="ffsc" />
In 1964, she appeared on ''McHale's Navy'' and was signed to a [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] contract for the ''McHale's Navy'' spin-off ''[[Broadside (TV series)|Broadside]]'', where she co-starred with [[Kathleen Nolan]], [[Sheila Kuehl|Sheila James]], and [[Dick Sargent]]. Her character was Roberta "Honey-Hips" Love, a former stripper who had joined the Navy. In 1966, she suffered a serious back injury as a result of a [[Equestrianism|horseback]] riding accident during the filming of ''Gunpoint'' starring Audie Murphy. She stopped working in films after that and concentrated on television.<ref name="ffsc" />


== Personal life ==
== Personal life ==
She married Charles Staley in 1956, whom she had met in France. They moved to [[Memphis, Tennessee]], where he was working as a television director. Staley worked as a legal secretary for Homer L. Armstrong, a local attorney in Memphis. Also during this period, Staley sang occasional backup for [[Sun Records]], of [[Elvis Presley]] fame. The Staley family then moved to Los Angeles.<ref name="ffsc" />
She married Charles Staley in 1956, whom she had met in France. They moved to [[Memphis, Tennessee]], where he was working as a television director. Staley worked as a legal secretary for Homer L. Armstrong, a local attorney in Memphis. Also during this period, Staley sang occasional backup for [[Sun Records]], of [[Elvis Presley]] fame. The Staley family then moved to Los Angeles.<ref name="ffsc" />


She married again, in 1967, to Dale Sheets, an executive with [[MCA Inc.|MCA]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show/254/Joan+Staley/index.html |title=Joan Staley Profile |website=Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen |access-date=October 6, 2017}}</ref> In 1969, she and her husband founded International Ventures Incorporated, and continued to manage talent.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://archive.signalscv.com/archives/115918/ |title=A Hollywood love story |first=Kirsten |last=Quinn |newspaper=[[The Santa Clarita Valley Signal]] |date=March 10, 2014}}</ref> Collectively, the Sheets had seven children: He had three by a previous marriage, she had one, and they had three together. As of 2013, they had ten grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Staley was active in consumer affairs, her church, and prison ministry.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/lw2692.htm |title=Joan Staley in 'Gunpoint' |first1=Joan |last1=Staley |first2=Dale |last2=Sheets |first3=Kim |last3=Stephens |website=[[Santa Clarita, California#Television|SCVTV]] |access-date=October 6, 2017}}</ref>
She married again, in 1967, to Dale Sheets, an executive with [[MCA Inc.|MCA]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show/254/Joan+Staley/index.html |title=Joan Staley Profile |website=Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen |access-date=October 6, 2017}}</ref> In 1969, she and her husband founded International Ventures Incorporated, and continued to manage talent.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://archive.signalscv.com/archives/115918/ |title=A Hollywood love story |first=Kirsten |last=Quinn |newspaper=[[The Santa Clarita Valley Signal]] |date=March 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007120136/http://archive.signalscv.com/archives/115918/ |archive-date=October 7, 2017}}</ref> Collectively, the Sheets had seven children: He had three by a previous marriage, she had one, and they had three together. As of 2013, they had ten grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Staley was active in consumer affairs, her church, and prison ministry.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/lw2692.htm |title=Joan Staley in 'Gunpoint' |first1=Joan |last1=Staley |first2=Dale |last2=Sheets |first3=Kim |last3=Stephens |website=[[Santa Clarita, California#Television|SCVTV]] |access-date=October 6, 2017}}</ref>


==Awards and honors==
==Awards and honors==
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== External links ==
== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|0821651}}
* {{IMDb name|0821651}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes-person|joan_staley}}


{{playmates of 1958}}
{{playmates of 1958}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


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[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:1950s Playboy Playmates]]
[[Category:1950s Playboy Playmates]]
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[[Category:Actresses from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Actresses from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Actresses from Minneapolis]]
[[Category:Actresses from Minneapolis]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century American women]]
[[Category:21st-century American women]]

Latest revision as of 17:16, 22 December 2024

Joan Staley
Staley in Bonanza (1960)
Born
Joan Lynette McConchie

(1940-05-20)May 20, 1940
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedNovember 24, 2019(2019-11-24) (aged 79)
Valencia, California, U.S.
Alma materChapman College
OccupationActress
Years active1948–1982
Known forBroadside
77 Sunset Strip
Perry Mason
Spouses
Chuck Staley
​
​
(m. 1956; div. 1960)​
Dale Sheets
​
(m. 1967)​
[1]
ChildrenSherrye Dee Staley (b. 1959)
Stephanie Sheets, Greg Sheets, and Dina Sheets [citation needed]

Joan Staley (born Joan Lynette McConchie; May 20, 1940 – November 24, 2019)[2] was an American actress and model.

Early life

[edit]

Staley was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of James and Jean McConchie. Her father was a minister, and her mother was a musician who played violin, piano, organ, and viola.[3] She grew up in Los Angeles, California.

At age three, Staley's mother took her to a concert, after which Joan requested a violin. When her mother realized she was serious, she obliged. Her first instructor was Karl Moldrem, the founder of the Baby Orchestra in Los Angeles. By age six, Staley had won by audition first chair/second violin in Peter Meremblum's Junior Symphony (André Previn was an alumnus). This led to her first film appearance, as a child violinist, in The Emperor Waltz, starring Bing Crosby and Joan Fontaine.[3]

Her mother and father were missionaries in Africa, after which her father joined the Army as a chaplain.[4] As the family moved to various postings, Staley attended schools in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Munich, and Paris. She briefly attended Chapman College, after which she moved to where her father was stationed in San Francisco to find work, as the only teletype operator at the William R. Stats brokerage firm.

Career

[edit]

She joined The Little Theater in Hollywood with roles in The Robe, Fiona in Brigadoon, and My Sister Eileen with actress Jo Anne Worley. This led to small roles in live television, such as Playhouse 90, Climax!, and Westinghouse Studio One. These appearances opened the door for her in film and television. Staley's first role in television was a 1958 Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the Corresponding Corpse". In early 1958, Lawrence Schiller, a Life photographer, approached Staley and asked her to pose for Playboy. They did a photo shoot together, which resulted in the actual spread used by the magazine. Publisher Hugh Hefner selected her to be Playboy's "Miss November" 1958.[5]

Her first marriage was to television director Chuck Staley (1956–1960). They had a daughter, Sherrye Dee Staley (born 1959). During this time, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer signed Staley to contract, one of the last actresses to do so. Her working experience, seen taking a shower in the opening credits, with director Vincente Minnelli for Bells Are Ringing, starring Judy Holliday, was, for her, a memorable start to her film career. She enjoyed a film and television career that lasted through the 1960s and into the early 1970s. Her first guest-starring role was on The Untouchables.[6]

For her first ongoing series role, she was featured in multiple appearances on the popular sitcom The Tab Hunter Show, where she was widely recognized for her comedic abilities. In 1961, she appeared in two roles in The Lawless Years, a 1920s crime drama starring James Gregory. After The Lawless Years, she had a one-time recurring role as David Nelson's temporary secretary in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. She went on to guest-star on Phil Silvers's sitcom The New Phil Silvers Show. A year later, she co-starred with singer Vic Damone in The Lively Ones for NBC, the summer replacement series for The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show.[7] She also co-starred in Valley of the Dragons in 1961 as "Deena".

Staley made three additional guest appearances on Perry Mason, as Sally in "The Case Of The Double Entry Mind", and including the role of murderer Gina Gilbert in the 1962 episode, "The Case of the Lonely Eloper". She was also featured on episodes of Stoney Burke, Wagon Train, The Real McCoys, McHale's Navy, The Virginian, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Untouchables, Burke's Law, The Munsters, Batman, Maverick, Hawaiian Eye, Surfside 6, Tales of Wells Fargo, and Rango, among others.

She was a regular as Hannah, the secretary to series character Stuart Bailey (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.), on the sixth and final season of the ABC/Warner Bros. crime drama, 77 Sunset Strip. One of her favorite roles was a small part in A New Kind of Love (1963), starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, in which Staley had a sequence with Newman. She also appeared in Cape Fear (1962) as a waitress in a scene with Robert Mitchum; Johnny Cool (1963); and the 1964 Elvis Presley movie, Roustabout; and co-starred in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966) opposite Don Knotts and in Gunpoint (1966) opposite Audie Murphy.[8]

In 1964, she appeared on McHale's Navy and was signed to a Universal Studios contract for the McHale's Navy spin-off Broadside, where she co-starred with Kathleen Nolan, Sheila James, and Dick Sargent. Her character was Roberta "Honey-Hips" Love, a former stripper who had joined the Navy. In 1966, she suffered a serious back injury as a result of a horseback riding accident during the filming of Gunpoint starring Audie Murphy. She stopped working in films after that and concentrated on television.[3]

Personal life

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She married Charles Staley in 1956, whom she had met in France. They moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where he was working as a television director. Staley worked as a legal secretary for Homer L. Armstrong, a local attorney in Memphis. Also during this period, Staley sang occasional backup for Sun Records, of Elvis Presley fame. The Staley family then moved to Los Angeles.[3]

She married again, in 1967, to Dale Sheets, an executive with MCA.[9] In 1969, she and her husband founded International Ventures Incorporated, and continued to manage talent.[10] Collectively, the Sheets had seven children: He had three by a previous marriage, she had one, and they had three together. As of 2013, they had ten grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Staley was active in consumer affairs, her church, and prison ministry.[11]

Awards and honors

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Staley was one of 12 actresses selected by the Hollywood Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Union as Deb Stars of 1962.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Actress Joan Staley, 79, dies. Co-starred with Don Knotts in The Ghost & Mr. Chicken; Ladies Man with Jerry Lewis; 77 Sunset Strip, lots of films & tv". The Life & Times of Hollywood. November 29, 2019.
  2. ^ Barnes, Mike (November 29, 2019). "Joan Staley, Actress in 'The Ghost and Mr. Chicken,' Dies at 79". The Hollywood Reporter.
  3. ^ a b c d Lisanti, Tom (2012). Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema: Interviews with 20 Actresses from Biker, Beach, and Elvis Movies. McFarland & Company. pp. 53–66. ISBN 978-1476601168.
  4. ^ Misurell, Ed (July 21, 1964). "A 'Femme Fatale' Turns Comedienne". The Kane Republican. Kane, Pennsylvania. p. 2. Retrieved October 6, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Joan Staley at Playboy Online[dead link‍]
  6. ^ Tucker, Kenneth (2000). Eliot Ness and the Untouchables: The Historical Reality and the Film and Television Depictions. McFarland & Company. p. 177. ISBN 978-0786407729.
  7. ^ Damone, Vic (2010). Singing Was the Easy Part. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 184. ISBN 978-0312570262.
  8. ^ Chambers, Casey (August 10, 2016). "Joan Staley Interview". The College Crowd Digs Me.
  9. ^ "Joan Staley Profile". Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  10. ^ Quinn, Kirsten (March 10, 2014). "A Hollywood love story". The Santa Clarita Valley Signal. Archived from the original on October 7, 2017.
  11. ^ Staley, Joan; Sheets, Dale; Stephens, Kim. "Joan Staley in 'Gunpoint'". SCVTV. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  12. ^ "Deb Stars of 1962". Valley News. Van Nuys, California. November 26, 1961. p. 43. Retrieved October 6, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
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